Father and Son: A story of Redemption
by Joseph Haney
Summary: In this story I introduce a new character, Lt. Tobias Alden, a mechanic assigned to the 4077. Life is going pretty well, until a stranger from his past arrives in camp. With his help, Tobias realizes that there are two sides to every story.
1. Peg

Author's Note: OK, so I'm new to this whole fanfiction thing, and this is my way of testing the waters. I do have a short story planned out to go with this chapter, but I won't post it unless I get some responses to this one (I'll settle for one, just write a brief review so I know that you have read it).

The story starts off at the end of the episode "The Party" and the majority of the story takes place a few weeks after that episode is concluded (between seasons seven and eight).

Chapter 1: Peg

"The highlight of my evening was spending nearly two solid hours dancing with Tobias' godfather, Grayson Hill," Radar continued. "We did the Jitterbug five times, the Lindy at least seven, and I lost count of all the times we did the Charleston. After a particularly fast jitterbug, he had to stop and get a drink of water. I commented that I had never danced that much in one go before, and he confessed that he hadn't either."

"That's Uncle Gray, alright," Lt. Tobias Alden said with a laugh.

"I take it he doesn't get out much?" Hawkeye asked

"He doesn't have time since he's trying to keep the garage going by himself. I'm actually surprised Rachel was able to convince him to go."

"Oh I doubt it was too hard," Charles smirked. "She probably bribed him with a tour of the finest garages in New York."

Tobias chuckled at that. "You know Charles, for someone who looks on the working class as lesser beings, you have an uncanny sense of what makes us tick." When Charles didn't retort, Tobias turned back to Radar and said, "Keep reading, Radar. What else does Peg say?"

"Oh right," Radar said, hurrying to find his place in the letter again. "She says, 'After that, we mingled with everyone else. I saw Klinger's mother looking at the picture of you all in front of the Fort Dix sign. There were tears in her eyes when she told me through her brother Abdul that you didn't have to bother. She had known all along that Klinger was in Korea, but she never let on because she didn't want him to worry about her, so you'd better not tell Klinger.' Oh, gee, I'm sorry," Radar said, looking at Klinger. "I guess I shouldn't have read that part."

"That's OK, kid," Klinger said, tears forming in his eyes. "Boy, I could never fool her on anything."

"Hey Klinger," Hawkeye said. "Welcome to Korea."

Radar continued, "The party ended with Tobias' sister Rachel singing 'Thanks for the Memories,' which she dedicated to all of you, but especially to you, dear for getting us all together for this party. We all were in tears before she was finished. We walked each other to the elevators, where we held onto each other, not wanting the evening to end. Grayson offered to walk me to my room, but I politely refused."

Radar kept reading, describing the events planned for the rest of the weekend. But Tobias wasn't listening. He had seen B.J.'s reaction to that last part, about his uncle Grayson and Peg. He had tensed up slightly, such a small movement that it was no surprise that no one else seemed to notice. Tobias had no doubt that B.J. would want to talk as soon as this OR session was over.

Radar, having finished Peg's letter, began to read the letter from Hawkeye's father. After that, he read Mrs. Potter's, then Tobias' "uncle" Grayson's, Father Mulcahy's sister's, and his mother's. By that time, the doctor's had finished in the OR.

Before heading back to his cot in the shed behind the motor pool, Tobias stopped outside post-op and lit a cigarette. As he watched the enlisted men stumble off toward their tents, followed by the nurses, he couldn't help but feel a little left out. As the one of the two commissioned officers in the 4077 who was not a part of the medical staff, he had always felt a little distant from everyone in the unit. Maybe that was why he had developed such a close bond with Father Mulcahy, despite the fact that he had never considered himself a religious man.

A hand on his shoulder stirred him from his thoughts. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" B.J. said.

"Sure," Tobias said, dropping what remained of the cigarette on the ground and putting it out with his foot. "What's on your mind?" _As if I don't already know_, he thought.

"I wanted to talk to you about your uncle Grayson," B.J. said.

"I see. You wanted to know if he meant anything by asking to escort Peg back to her room." It wasn't a question, just a simple statement.

"Well, yeah," B.J. said, somewhat taken aback by his colleague's straight forwardness. "Yeah, that's exactly it." There was a brief pause, and then he added, "So…did he?"

Tobias sighed and lit another cigarette. He didn't like talking about this, but it was the only way that B.J. was going to be able to relax.

"It was just a little harmless flirtation. Uncle Grayson wouldn't take it any further than that."

"You're sure that that's all it was?" B.J. persisted. "There's no way he could have meant it any other way?"

"It's a good thing you're not the jealous type," Tobias said with a chuckle. He quickly became serious again when he saw the look of concern in B.J.'s eyes. "About twenty years ago, he started flirting with a married woman at a bar. One thing led to another, and they wound up spending the night together. It tore her marriage apart. It didn't exactly do his any good, either," he added, almost as an afterthought.

Tobias took a particularly long drag on the cigarette before continuing. "After that, he swore that he wouldn't be the cause of any ruined marriages. Sure, he'll flirt, but it's all in fun. Besides," he added with a grin, "he's not exactly Peg's type."

"What do you mean?"

"Uncle Grayson doesn't have a cheesy mustache or huge feet."

They both got a good laugh out of that. "Well," Tobias said, "if there's nothing else on your mind, I'd kind of like to turn in."

"Oh, sure, go ahead," B.J. said. "Oh, and Tobias?"

"Yeah?"

B.J. held out his hand. "Thanks."

Tobias shook it and said, "You know, someday, when this nightmare is over and I wake up back in my bed in Clear Lake, South Dakota, I think I'd like to get married. If that ever happens, I hope I can love my wife half as much as you love Peg."

"I'll drink to that. How about a nightcap back in the SWAMP?"

"No, thanks. I've got to get up early tomorrow if I'm going to beat any work out of Rizzo, and I'm practically dead on my feet now."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah. Sleep well."

As B.J. turned and walked toward the SWAMP, Tobias shook his head. _He worries too much_, Tobias thought. _If Peg is half as devoted to him as he is to her, she'd die before she'd be unfaithful._

With that thought, he put out the cigarette, turned, and began to walk toward the motor pool.

End chapter 1

Follow up note: I realize I didn't really make it clear who this Lt. Tobias Alden is and what his role in the 4077 is, but I promise that it will come in chapter 2, assuming I get enough interested readers to make the rest of the story worth posting (again at this point one is enough).

Also, just to be clear, Grayson Hill is Tobias' GODFATHER, not his uncle. In this case, "uncle" is just what Tobias calls him.

Again I say, this is my first crack at fanfiction, so bear that in mind when writing reviews.


	2. Tobias Alden

OK so thanks to new york gal for reviewing my first chapter (which have since made changes to and re-uploaded). And as promised, here's the second installment.

Chapter 2: Tobias Alden

"And jeep number 5039 is in perfect working order," Tobias said to no one in particular, closing the hood on the machine. _Just like it was two hours ago,_ he thought.

Although it had been six months since he was first assigned to this mobile cess pool, he hadn't decided which was worse: The seemingly endless floods of wounded or the unrelenting monotony that came in between said floods. He had already inspected all of the jeeps three times and it was only noon. He supposed he could check on the generator again, but what possible problem could it have less than thirty minutes after he finished inspecting it?

As he stood there trying to think of ways to kill time, his stomach started growling. _Of course_, he thought. _What better way to kill time than to play Russian roulette with my stomach._ _And for dessert, I can swing by the SWAMP and go for a second round with my liver._

As he put his tools away, he noticed just how dirty his hands were. Though it didn't surprise him considering how much mechanical work he had done, he decided that he had better wash his hands before he tried to eat anything (though to be completely honest, the food would probably taste better if his hands were dirty).

As he walked into the scrub room, he couldn't help but remember how he had been assigned to a hospital.

"_Watch where you're going, you maniac!" Tobias screamed at the ambulance as it nearly ran him off the road. It sped past him and on under the sign that said "M*A*S*H 4077: Best Care Anywhere."_

_He continued on into the compound. The first thing he noticed was that the ground was covered in wounded. He stopped the jeep and slowly stepped out—and was promptly knocked to the ground._

"_Oh my gosh! I'm sorry!" the corporal said. "I didn't see you there. Oh, gee you're not hurt, are ya?"_

"_I don't think so," Tobias said, standing up and dusting himself off. " Everything seems to be right where it's supposed to be."_

"_Good," the corporal said with a sigh of relief. "Oh, gee, I'm sorry about knocking you down."_

"_Don't worry about it, corporal," Tobias said with a grin. "I should have known better than to try to cross the freeway without looking both ways, especially during rush hour." _

_The corporal smiled. "You're okay, Lieutenant. And the name's Radar."_

"_Pleased to meet you, Radar," Tobias said holding out his hand. "I'm Tobias Alden. Now, where can I find the CO?"_

"_Oh, Colonel Potter is in pre-op. Right through those doors," he added, indicating the building at the far end of the compound._

_Tobias turned back to Radar to thank him, but he was gone, climbing on the bus that had just pulled into the compound. _The excitement never stops around here,_ he thought. Then with a sigh, he turned and made his way past the wounded laying on litters._

_He hadn't gotten more than halfway to his destination when a soldier grabbed his arm told him to grab one end of the nearest stretcher. Tobias found himself on the end near the wounded soldier's head. The soldier looked up at him and asked "Am I gonna be OK?" The boy couldn't have been more than eighteen. Forcing himself not to look at the bloody bandage over the boy's belly, Tobias forced a smile. "You're at the 4077, kid," he said, fighting to keep his voice steady. "Our motto is 'The best care, anywhere.'"_

_Once inside pre-op, they set the boy down on the only open table. While the private ran out to get another wounded soldier, Tobias looked around for Colonel Potter. He only saw one doctor in the room, a tall man with a mustache who was taking the blood pressure of a wounded soldier. "Doctor," Tobias said. The man didn't look up right away, and Tobias tried to call him again, but found that his voice caught in his throat. Fortunately, one of the nurses noticed him and got the doctor's attention. "Hi," he said, smiling. "What can I do for you?"_

_Tobias hurriedly cleared his throat and said, "I've got a kid with a belly wound here." The doctor hurried over and began taking vitals. "Um, excuse me," Tobias said, nervously. "Can you tell me where to find Colonel Potter?"_

"_He's in the scrub room, through the OR," the nurse said, indicating the white curtains behind her._

"_He's the only one in there whose hair is whiter than the clothes he's wearing," the doctor said, not looking up from the boy._

_Tobias hesitated for a moment. "Is he gonna be OK, Doc?" he asked quietly._

"_Why, is he your buddy?"_

"_No, it's just that he asked me, and I told him he would be, and I wanted to make sure."_

"_Well, it's too soon to tell for sure, but I'd be willing to place money on it."_

_Tobias forced a smile. "Thanks, Doc."_

"_No problem, and its B.J.," he said, standing up. "Come on, I have to scrub up. I'll introduce you to Colonel Potter."_

_When they walked into the scrub room together and were greeted by two men, one in his mid-thirties with black hair and the other in his mid-sixties. "Well, Beej," the younger man said. "You've been in the visitor's locker room. What are they throwing at us today?"_

"_The same as usual—couple of belly wounds, three chest cases, and one rather nasty looking leg wound."_

"_Great, I thought they'd forgotten how to make leg wounds."_

"_Well, Hawkeye, they'll be coming later in the program," the older man said. "So don't you forget how to beat a belly wound."_

"_Oh, Colonel, I almost forgot," B.J. said. "This young man was asking for your autograph."_

"_Oh?" Colonel Potter said, intrigued. "Tell me, what's your name son?" _

"_Tobias Alden, sir," Tobias said, saluting. "I'm here to report in."_

"_Oh, you must be Major Burns' replacement. We've been waiting for you," Colonel Potter said. "I'd love to return the favor, son, but I just spent five and a half minutes scrubbing and if I salute you, I'll have to take another five and a half to re-scrub."_

"_Of course, sir" Tobias said, dropping his hand. _

"_Well, we can formalize your check in when this session is over. It seems you caught us during the post-Christmas rush. You'd better scrub up and get your scalpel ready."_

"_Scalpel?" Tobias asked, clearly confused._

"_Yes, scalpel," Hawkeye said. "You know, sort of like a small knife, mainly used in surgery."_

_Ignoring this, Tobias said "Colonel, I think there has been a mistake. I'm not a doctor. I'm a mechanic."_

_The scrub room suddenly got very quiet. Tobias was pretty sure he heard a pin drop somewhere._

_Colonel Potter finally broke the silence. "Damn. I-corps screwed up again. This is the third time this month they've sent us some other tradesmen instead of a surgeon."_

"_I don't know, Colonel," Hawkeye said. "Thank about who they're replacing. I think they finally got it right."_

"_Maybe so, but at least Burns could pretend to be a surgeon. This kid can't even do that."_

"_You guys know I can hear you, right?" Tobias asked._

"_Oh, sorry son," Colonel Potter said. "We can't do anything about it now, but believe me after this OR session is over, I'm going to call I-corps and try to straighten this out. In the meantime, go back outside, and help bring the wounded in."_

"_Yes, sir." Tobias said, hurrying out the doors and into the compound. _

_After a week, Colonel Potter called Tobias into his office. When he arrived he saw the Colonel pouring drinks. He handed Tobias a glass and indicated for him to sit down._

"_It's bad news isn't it?" Tobias said._

"_I'm afraid so. It seems you really were sent here by mistake. The Lieutenant Tobias Alden we were supposed to get got sent to the 135__th__ mechanical battalion in Seoul instead of you."_

"_So can't you just arrange a trade, me for him," Tobias said._

"_I would if I could," Colonel Potter said. "It seems that two days ago, there was an accident. The other Tobias Alden was killed, along with one other man, when a lift malfunctioned and the jeep it was holding up fell."_

_Tobias was silent for a minute. Slowly he asked, "So does this mean I'm stuck here for the duration of my tour of duty?" _

"_I'm afraid so. I wish I could get you out of here, no offense, but there's just no way around it now. According to the army, you're dead, and Tobias Alden the surgeon is still alive."_

"_Wait, that means MY family is going to get notified, not this other Tobias Alden's."_

"_Yes it does. Radar is trying to get that straightened out, but it seems that, until you earn a discharge of some kind, you're stuck here."_

_Then Colonel Potter sat down at his desk and picked up a file. "I had the 135__th__ send me your file, so we can at least have an accurate record of our personnel. Let's go over it, just to make sure its accurate. Let's start with your full name, rank and serial number."_

"_Alden, Tobias Jacob, Lieutenant. Serial number 29830449."_

"_Good. Now, you're date of birth."_

"_October 1__st__, 1937"_

"_OK, Now Family. Mother: Deceased. Father: Deceased. One sister and a godfather listed as next of kin. Is that accurate?"_

"_Yes, sir."_

_And so it had continued for another hour, going over every detail in the file, just to get him officially checked in to the 4077. _

_Next, he Colonel Potter discussed what his duties at the 4077 would be. It was easily decided that he would be in charge of the motor pool, and that he couldn't perform surgery. When wounded came in he would act as a corpsman, carrying the wounded from one place to another, and fetching any extra supplies the doctors needed. And that was it. Lt. Tobias Jacob Alden was now a member of the 4077 M*A*S*H. _

Tobias turned off the water, dried his hands, and turned as the door to the scrub room opened, and Radar stepped in.

"Oh, there you are, Lieutenant."

"Radar, how many times do I have to ask you to call me Tobias? I don't like being called 'Lieutenant.'"

"Yes, sir."

Tobias sighed. _Much better_, he thought. "What is it Radar?"

"Oh, your new supply sergeant is here."

"It's about time. I was beginning to wonder if he'd ever make it."

"Yeah," he said as he turned someone standing outside and said, "He's in here, Sergeant."

"Great, I can't wait to meet my new former boss," the Sergeant said.

Tobias froze. He knew that voice. But it couldn't be—it was impossible. _So were the odds of there being two Lieutenants in this whole damn "police action" named Tobias Alden,_ he thought, bitterly.

He turned around and his fear was confirmed. He knew the man standing before him. It had been twenty years since he had seen that face, and thus he looked twenty years older, but it was him. And Tobias saw that the man recognized him as well. _Good_, Tobias thought. _At least he'll know who he's dealing with._

"This is Sergeant Thomas Collins," Radar said breaking the awkward silence. "Sergeant, this is Lieutenant Tobias Alden."

"Thanks, Radar," Tobias said. "That'll be all."

"Oh," the corporal said, looking a little confused. "I'll just take the sergeant's bags to his quarters."

"Yeah, you do that, kid," Sergeant Collins said. With a final glance at each of the men, Radar turned and left.

The two men stared at each other for what seemed like ages. Finally Tobias broke the silence. "So, of all the lice infested sewers in this God forsaken country, they assigned you to mine."

"It would seem that way, yeah," Sergeant Collins said, obviously sizing him up.

Tobias nodded. "So," he said, sitting down on the bench next to the door to the OR. "How have you been, Dad?"


	3. Duties

Ok, if anyone is reading this story, I know it's been a while since I updated last, but my muse has got me trying to balance three stories with my current overload of school work. This is just a short chapter to keep the story going. As always please rate and review.

Chapter 3: Duties

The two men stared at each other. Tobias could feel the anger boiling inside of him. He couldn't believe it. _It really is a small world._

"So, you have nothing to say to me?" Tobias asked. "No explanation, no apologies?"

"What do you want me to say?" Sgt. Collins said. "I haven't seen you in twenty years. Is anything I say going to make a difference?"

"No, I guess not," Tobias said, as he lit a cigarette. He sat in silence trying to decide what to do. He wanted to strangle the man, but that would lead to a lot of questions that he really didn't want to answer.

"If it's all the same to you Lieutenant," Sgt. Collins said, "I'd like to start work as soon as possible. Could you show me to the supply tent?"

"It's outside, two tents down. You know how to run the supply tent, Sergeant?"

"Yes, sir. This isn't my first run as a supply sergeant."

"Good. If you do have any questions about ordering supplies, talk to Radar, the boy who took your bags. He'll get you straightened out." Tobias stood up and walked over to the Sergeant. "Now before you start work, I've got just one more question: Are you going to have a problem taking orders from me?"

"Because you're my son or because you're younger than me?"

"Either," Tobias said, keeping his face steady. "This place may look calm now, but at any minute we could have choppers and ambulances carrying wounded kids pouring in here. I need to know that I can count on you to do what needs to be done, no matter who is giving the order. So, I ask again, is the fact that I'm your son going to be a problem?"

"No, sir," Sgt. Collins said snapping to attention. "I know how to take orders, and I've taken them from younger boys than you. Will that be all, sir?"

Ignoring the quip about his age, Tobias said, "That's all, Sergeant. You're dismissed."

"Thank you, sir," Sgt. Collins said, saluting. He turned to leave but something crossed his mind. He turned back to Tobias. "Sir, would it be possible to keep our relationship a secret? The army doesn't know I have a son."

"Don't worry, Sergeant," Tobias said. "I'm not going to tell anyone. It would be just as awkward for me, as the army thinks my father's dead."

Sgt. Collins nodded. "Fair enough," he said and then he left.

Tobias stared after him for a few minutes before putting out his cigarette, and left for the mess tent.

Almost as soon as he sat down he was joined by Colonel Potter. "How are ya doing today son?" he said.

Putting on a fake smile, Tobias replied, "Just great, Colonel. How about yourself?"

"Just dandy. Have you met the new supply sergeant yet?"

"Yeah," Tobias said, taking out a cigarette. "Radar introduced him to me on the way over here. He wanted to get right to work, so I showed him to the supply tent and came on over here. Do you mind if I smoke?"

"Go right ahead, son. It might just make this stuff taste a little better," Colonel Potter chuckled. "You think that Sergeant Collins will be okay in this place?"

"Ask me again after his first batch of wounded," Tobias said.

"Yeah, that's the true test of a man's salt in this place. Come by my office later and I'll let you take a look at his file."

"He mentioned that this wasn't his first time as a supply sergeant. Where was he stationed before here?"

"Somewhere back in the states, I think. He must have really put a burr under somebody's saddle to get sent from a stateside appointment to this dump."

"Probably got caught in an awkward situation with some officer's wife," Tobias said, taking a particularly long drag on his cigarette.

"Could be," Colonel Potter said slowly, studying Tobias. "Well, that's something you can ask him, since he's going to be bunking with you."

Tobias sat up straight. "With me? Why?"

"Because there aren't any open cots anywhere else, that's why. Besides, I figured you'd be happy for the company."

"But, sir, there's not much extra room in that shed. I don't think he'd be very comfortable there."

Colonel Potter shrugged. "I'd like to put him with some of the other enlisted men, but there just isn't any open space for him."

"Couldn't he set up a cot in the supply tent?"

Colonel Potter studied him. "Is there a problem between you two that I should know about?"

Tobias hesitated, and then quietly said, "No, sir."

"Then there's no reason he can't bunk with you, so get him a cot and make him comfortable."

Tobias took a deep breath and looked Colonel Potter straight in the eye. "Consider it done, sir."

"Good," Colonel Potter said. "Look, son, I know how much you like your privacy, but this is the army, and certain sacrifices have to be made."

"I understand, sir." Tobias said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I've lost my appetite. I'll be by later to get that file." With that, he stood and left.


End file.
